Recently the Pagan community has been discussing, both briefly and at length, individual impressions of forthcoming global upheavals and monumental changes. Some have dismissed such impressions, while others are taking them quite seriously.

Frequently, more so perhaps than ever before, daily news articles and sound bites tell us of catastrophes — tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanoes, forest fires, mining disasters, genocide, bombings. Are these mere happenstance occurrences or is there something bigger, much bigger, going on here?

One can look at the catastrophes in several ways. They may be categorized as long term, cyclic, and irreversible and unstoppable geological progressions. As such, they may even be fulfillments of Mayan or Hopi prophecy. Some of these changes are geological — simply stated, they are merely matter evolving. Or, in the greater scheme of things, they may be only immediate, short-term cause-and-effect occurrences, such as industrial pollution, ozone depletion, or weather patterns temporarily gone awry. Others may be the result of scientific or political experimentation.

But all of these changes are “felt” by a living planet and some may even be caused by this living Earth, determined to preserve itself. We are not all of us scientists and we lack the tools to measure change or forecast it... but we have our spirits, hearts, and Earth-souls that enable us to listen.

Our first step must be to forget everything that the dogma of the “Me Generation” has taught us. Forget our egos! Everything is connected! Things that happen to a sparrow, whale, a soldier in Iraq, all impact me! The emotions that we felt when looking at images of post-Katrina New Orleans were not so much a fear for self as they were a common pain and empathy for suffering. It is all connected. We are all connected.

Consider that every natural object is alive and sentient — is aware. They may not be on the same plane/wave length/frequency as we are, but “alive.” The native cultures have always known this. We have forgotten.

How do we deal with that on a day-to-day basis? Consciously treating every single object as “alive” is dysfunctional, but if — instead of using the active mind— we use the passive mind, we can cultivate a reverence and compassion for every part of the Earth and carry that reverence with ourselves. We can “walk in a sacred manner.” And we can certainly bring it into our active mind in ritual and meditation. We can talk to other “beings” and to the gods — and listen to them.

Cultural anthropologist Joseph Campbell had once declared that our greatest limitation is our perception of our God. What is yours? Does he or she abide above or below? in the forests and mountains? in the trees and rocks themselves? Or does he or she function as an archetype in your mind-soul? If they are real — a part of the ethyr that manifest when called upon — then what are they telling us?The gods manifest when called — but perhaps we as human beings aren’t the only beings calling them! All of the parts and systems that are of the Earth could be uniting to create the call... Take time to look at the many reasons for such a plea.

Consider all that is harming it/Her... If you were She, wouldn’t you be making changes? or calling out to others to help? Calling to Her children? To those who have not forgotten the old ways?

As members of an earth-based religious community attuned to the Great Mother, it would be difficult to dismiss the messages as just so much hype and paranoia and to trust totally that sweetness and light will prevail. The gods and their priests/priestesses must work together, as neither can exist without the other, or the final result will leave all of us wondering how it all turned out the way it did.

Now suppose that there were Pagans who are listening — priestesses encountering such pleas in their invocations and meditative work; priests feeling a calling to protect and defend — and together are creating a nexus of energies to understand and take action to preserve and protect, to improve and change the troubled world that She desires to throw off by shrugging Her shoulders and removing all that is harming Her. Yes, such cycles have repeated themselves since prerecorded time, and they shall continue. But this cycle is the one in which we are enjoined to act or not, for the benefit of all.

Jungian psychologist Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolenhas recently published a much-needed book entilted Urgent Message from Mother; Gather the Women, Save the World. She brings to the foreground the individual instances where women in seemingly powerless circumstances have banded together to take action to improve the environment or the lives of its inhabitants. Coincidentally, her book was released within a month of my own, and together they address the ways in which we can unite to take action against the myriad assaults against the well-being of the planet and Her children.

Pagans who live within the concrete and asphalt of the city may need a vehicle by which they can feel the messages being sent by our Earth. In the absence of a trip to the forest or the oceanfront, one may find that pathworking is a useful tool to gain insights and information.

Sit back, relax and settle your mind. Take several long, deep breaths, inhaling vigorously to clense your lungs and your mind. Now gently close your eyes and follow the darkness into a deep dark cave that is the Mother's heart. Listen to the sounds of the living Earth. From deep within the darkness, whisper your message of love and caring to the Mother. Ask Her to show you where She feels the pain. Allow the images, sounds, and scents to form in your mind;s eye. Stay deep within Her until you have received your answer. Allow the images to form. What has been done to harm Her? What have you done to heal Her? Ask and answer.

Website structure, evolution and php coding by Fritz Jung on a Macintosh G5.

Any and all personal political opinions expressed in the public listing sections (including, but not restricted to, personals, events, groups, shops, Wrenâ€™s Nest, etc.) are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinion of The Witchesâ€™ Voice, Inc. TWV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization.

Sponsorship: Visit the Witches' Voice Sponsor Page for info on how youcan help support this Community Resource. Donations ARE Tax Deductible.
The Witches' Voice carries a 501(c)(3) certificate and a Federal Tax ID.